The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
by xPupil
Summary: They’re crazy about each other. But everyone, including themselves, don’t know it. Mixing work and pleasure can be dangerous. [IK]
1. Busy

**Basically, please R&R. Oh, and enjoy!**

* * *

She whipped her way around the car, greeted the door man with a nod and smile, and made her way inside the building as quickly as she could. Her heels, creating a song with their '_clamp clamp clamp_' made her presence known to those inside and around the building. Smiling as she walked past the front office, she heard a hurried greeting by the secretary. Finally reaching the elevators, she stopped, pressed a button, and held tightly onto her small purse.

_Ding._

The elevator suddenly opened and much to Kagome's apparent dismay, happened to have her coworker, Inuyasha, inside. Smirking and leaning against the back of the elevator, he crossed his arms and looked at the woman before him.

"Well? Are you coming up or not?"

"Are you getting out or planning to go along for the ride?" Kagome retorted, as her grim face suddenly withheld a small smile. Stepping inside the elevator, she made sure to leave enough open space between her and Inuyasha. They had never caught along too great yet to her annoyance, Inuyasha continually pestered and provoked her.

The silence, which Kagome had been craving for, was not carried on for much longer.

"Annual meeting, I'm sure you're excited," Inuyasha said, as he smirked and let out a small chuckle, glancing in Kagome's direction. Kagome merely directed her eyes toward him for a moment and slightly glared at him.

"Ecstatic," she said, as she kept her eyes on how many floors they were going up, "Inuyasha, what… no, let me start over. Why did you come in this elevator with me?" Kagome asked, as her gray orbs directed their attention onto him.

The doors to the elevator suddenly opened, and, surprisingly, held no new company for them. She hesitated to tear herself away from the elevator and Inuyasha, yet after a moment of silence merely nodded her head, smiled, and began to walk out of the elevator before hearing his reply.

"Because it would be rude of me to leave you without our 5 minutes of conversation," he said, as the cocky smirk stayed on his face, "I'll see you around, Ms. Higurashi," he teased, as the elevator doors slowly began to shut in her face, "Don't miss me too much."

Kagome's eyes narrowed into small slits as she stood and stared at the elevator doors, which were now closed. She didn't like him, Inuyasha. He was too much of a play boy. As people began to surge around the elevators, Kagome slowly walked away from the area and made her way toward her office area, where all her fellow coworkers were more than likely already busy with news columns and research. Walking past the secretary, she offered a small smile and made her way toward the table, which held coffee and donuts.

'_I wonder how many of the girls in this building he's been with…'_ Kagome thought to herself, as she glanced around her work area at all the young women busily working.

Picking up a small, generic coffee mug, she filled it with the brewing coffee until she was satisfied with the amount. Pouring packets of sugar and cream into the coffee, she slowly mixed it all together and took a big sip, which woke her taste buds. Grabbing a napkin and placing a plain donut inside, she made her way into her office and shut the door, setting her condiments down onto the desk.

"Hm…" she said, as she looked down on her desk to find a memo from her boss.

_We're running an article on the Irish assassins. I'm sure you've heard of them? Find out as much as possible and something that no one else knows. Don't let me down. _

She sighed as she read the memo yet quickly opened her laptop and began to research all she could about the deadly assassins, whom had been committing calculated and specific murders in the state. They were quite famous.

As she began to type up the name "Irish assassins", she suddenly heard a knock at her door. Biting into her donut and chewing as quickly as she could, she strongly said, "Come in!"

Slowly gulping down her coffee and savoring the taste, she read and noted all important information about her research subjects before glancing up to see who was paying her a visit. Looking up from her laptop, a smile suddenly shone from her small figure as she relaxed in her seat and twirled back and fourth in the computer chair.

"Kagome," the woman said, as she sat down in front of her friend and wedged herself closer to the desk, "I have great news!"

Suddenly sitting up, Kagome's smile only grew wider, "And what's that, Kikyou?"

Kikyou hid her face in her hands for a moment before calming down and taking a breath, an almost invisible smile on her face, "Okay. I think Inuyasha – you know, the assistant editor? Well, I think he likes me."

Kagome's jaw slightly dropped, but she quickly changed her expression into a small smile, "Likes you? Are we talking about friend wise—"

"Oh, Kagome! You know what I mean. He's smitten with me, I just know it."

The two girls began laughing, although Kagome's was more forced. Shaking her head and looking at Kikyou, she bit her pen lightly and continued to laugh slightly, although her head was rushing with arguments and total disbelief. Inuyasha, smitten? It couldn't be possible.

"Are sure about this, Kikyou?"

"Positive. What? Is it hard to fathom a man interested in me?"

"No, of course not. A man like him, however, woo, that's a different story!" Kagome said, as she began to laugh nervously, afraid to look at her friend in the eye.

"And what kind of a man is he? Because as far as I know, you don't know him; he doesn't even like you in the first place."

Kagome remained silent for a moment as a sad smile appeared on her face. Nodding, she said, "Kikyou, I'm sorry, I didn't know—"

"No, Kagome. I'm sorry," Kikyou said, as she angrily stood up from her chair and made her way to the door, "Have a nice day," she spat coldly, as she slightly slammed the door to her office. Wincing, Kagome tried to settle her nerves and get back to work. However, the image of Kikyou and Inuyasha, for some strange reason, continued to resurface in her mind. Did he actually like her?

* * *

"Okay, Inuyasha, spill."

Inuyasha continued to read and sort through all the paperwork on his desk while his best friend and coworker, Miroku, interrogated him. Rather, tried to interrogate him.

"Spill…?" Inuyasha muttered, as he busily read through the papers in his hands, setting them down into a pile once finished, "Miroku, I have a lot of work to do. Can we do this later?" he said, agitated.

"No, we can't do this later," Miroku sarcastically spat, "What's this I hear about you and Kikyou? I thought you would've told me about something like this before going and doing it!"

"I haven't _done_ anything. What I _am_ trying to do is finish with all these papers!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled, before calming down and taking a breath.

"Okay, big fella," Miroku said, as he put his arms up as to wave a white flag, "I'll leave you alone for now, but this conversation isn't finished."

"For now it is – get out," Inuyasha ordered, as he continued to read through the endless haze of paperwork stacked on his desk, grumpily mumbling and cursing as he continued.

"Take it easy," Miroku offered, as he exited and shut the door to Inuyasha's office.

Inuyasha threw down all the papers in a fit of anger and sat lazily in his hair, as he began to slouch lower and lower in the seat. Looking at the pile of papers, he cursed once more and looked at the telephone, a smirk suddenly crossing his face. He knew what would get him out of a rut – one phone call.

Sitting up, he reached for the phone and dialed the number he had never dared to before. As the phone rang, Inuyasha held the phone up closely to his ear, growing impatient as the phone continuously rang. Finally, her voice came onto the line.

"The New York Times, this is Kagome speaking,"

A cocky smirk instantly splashed onto his face as he heard her confused voice ask who was on the line.

"Why, who else would it be?" he questioned, as his smirk grew into a sly smile, "I figured the elevator wasn't enough for you."

"Oh, it was more than enough, thanks," Kagome replied, as he could almost sense her annoyance through the phone line.

"I'm sure it was," Inuyasha said sarcastically, as a smirk dwelled on his face, "Did you know it was me?"

"Did I know? No, I didn't. I was waiting for an important phone call and—"

"And you got it? That's great. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be interested in grabbing a bite to sometime -- perhaps after work today at say… eight o'clock?"

'_Shit,'_ Inuyasha said to himself, _'Great, I just put myself on the line.'_

The line remained silent for a moment before her voice suddenly came in, "Seriously?"

"Oh, wait…" Inuyasha began to muse, "I forgot. We'll have to postpone that dinner. I have plans with Kikyou for tonight."

'_Shit,'_ Inuyasha said to himself once more.

"You're a real jerk, you know that?" he heard her say before he heard the dial tone. She had hung up on him. Frowning slightly, he tore the phone away from his ear and hesitantly hung it up, basking in the sunlight more.

"That went great," he said aloud, wondering if anyone could hear him.

**Oh how you laughed  
At my complete lack of grace  
But I could not recall  
A more perfect fall.**


	2. Help

**Thanks for the reviews, they're grand. )  
Enjoyyy!**

* * *

Sitting awkwardly and rather impatiently, Inuyasha shifted his weight in the seat and began to thump his fingers against the restaurant table, causing a small rhythmic pattern. Taking a breath, he reached for his glass of water and took a hefty gulp, setting it back down a moment later. Glancing nonchalantly around the restaurant, he realized that his date had not yet come. She wasn't even at the front desk.

Glancing at his wrist watch, he noticed the time.

"Ten minutes late," he murmured to himself, as he looked up again to find the waiter in front of him.

"Would you like to wait longer, sir, or are you ready to begin ordering?"

Inuyasha looked up at the man for a moment and then back down at the menu, hesitated, and finally gave a wave of his hand, "It's fine. I'll wait," he said, as the waiter nodded and excused himself, while Inuyasha merely shook his head in response.

'_Where the fuck is she…'_ Inuyasha thought to himself, as he sighed aloud, his state of annoyance increasing by the minute due to the absence of his date. Normally, he wouldn't wait. Come to think of it…

'_Why the hell am I wasting my time?'_ he asked himself, as he threw down the napkin, which he had been holding in frustration. Sitting up, he pushed his chair in and took one last sip of his drink before walking away from the table, searching for his waiter. Slowly making his way toward the man, he discreetly pulled him aside.

"If a woman comes in asking if I was ever here, tell her no one ever showed up, okay?" Inuyasha said, as he looked the man in the eye, his face serious and grim. Pulling out a fifty dollar bill from his pocket, he slipped it into the man's hand and smirked. The man, who simply nodded, walked away from Inuyasha and went on with business.

"That was brilliant," Inuyasha said, as he walked out of the restaurant, smirking.

As he pulled his car keys out of his pocket and made his way toward his car, he suddenly noticed his date rushing out of her car and walking stoically into the restaurant. A gasp escaped him as his eyes grew big and the cool, collected Inuyasha suddenly made sure to dodge her. Walking into a crowd of people, he made sure that she hadn't seen him. Catching view of her inside the restaurant, he smirked and unlocked his car.

Stepping inside, he turned on the engine and began to back out of the parking lot, making sure to catch view of her face as it was made clear that he hadn't been there. Her porcelain face, Inuyasha noted, held no expression whatsoever. He saw her nod and excuse herself, which let him know that he had to drive out of there as quickly as possible.

"I guess it'll be McDonald's tonight," Inuyasha said aloud, as he turned on the radio and quickly sped off into the night. However, as he was beginning to calm down and relax after his_ ordeal _of some sorts, his cellular phone suddenly began to ring. Glancing down to see who was calling, he cringed.

"Kikyou," he said aloud, as he sighed once more, as he heard the rings become consistent. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. What bothered him most, however, is that he was confused at all.

'_She can leave a voice mail like everyone else,'_ he said to himself as he pulled into the empty McDonald's drive-thru. Looking at the menu, he eyed his dinner for the night. The regular, which was a Big Mac.

"Yeah, I'd like a Big Mac and that'll be it," he yelled into the box, as he heard his total.

_Beep._

A new voice mail had just been received. Glancing down at his cellular phone, he angrily rolled his eyes and grabbed the phone, preparing to listen to the mail, which had surely been given to him by Kikyou.

_I decided to have dinner with Naraku instead. I hope you didn't have to wait long -- $50, was it? I'll see you at work._

"Fucking bitch," Inuyasha cursed aloud, as he threw down his phone in anger, looking at the floor to see where it had landed. Driving up to receive his order, he handed the woman a bigger bill than what was expected, "Can I get a large fry with that order, please?"

The woman nodded, rang up his total and took the bill, which was still in his hand as he held out his arm into the cool, crisp air. A grim face, he angrily grabbed the food which the woman had been passing him. Before the worker could say anything, he sped off quickly and disappeared, fries in mouth and hand.

As he stopped at the red light, he sulked and took a hungry bite of the burger. Chewing, he looked back down at the cellular phone, which was still on the ground. Looking around to make sure no other cars were behind or around him, he bent down and grabbed the phone, set it beside him, and sped off as the light turned green. While keeping his eyes on the road, his right hand searched around for the phone.

"Got it," Inuyasha said, almost inaudibly, as a smirk appeared on his face.

Pulling into the driveway and turning his keys, the car suddenly went off while Inuyasha grabbed his bag of fast food. Opening the door while dialing a few numbers, he held the phone up to his ear while chewing.

"God damn it, answer…"

"Inuyasha?"

Slightly growing nervous, Inuyasha remained silent on the phone for a moment, "Kikyou, how was dinner?"

"It was fine; great, actually. He's a brilliant man, Naraku. Perhaps you should try and idolize your career after his," she said, her tone almost seemingly cold.

"Yeah, that's great," Inuyasha said sarcastically, as he rolled his eyes, opening the door to his wallet burning apartment, "I had a great dinner as well. I apologize, though. I should've told you earlier that I had a prior appointment – date, rather, with someone."

"Oh, I wasn't aware. Who is this person?"

Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, cursing himself for his stupidity. Almost naturally saying her name, he responded, "Kagome."

* * *

Kagome awoke at the crack of dawn to the most foreign sound in the morning – her phone. Rarely did she get called, especially at the hour that it was. Trying to resist the sound, she attempted to dive her head into the pillows to soften the sound, yet the sound persisted and finally won. Sitting up and slightly annoyed, Kagome confusingly reached for her phone and at last answered.

"Hello?" she said, her voice groggy.

"So that's what you sound like in the morning. I wonder what you_ look_ like,"

As she suddenly became aware of who was on the phone, she felt a headache coming on. Sighing, she pulled the blankets off of her and reached for her wrist watch.

"You'll never know," she spat, as she whined and got up from bed, "Inuyasha, what do you want? Is this some type of emergency or what?"

"Emergency, if you will," he replied, stirring her curiosity.

"What's going on?" she replied, as she felt more awake for a moment, blinking repeatedly to get use to how bright it was suddenly becoming.

Hesitating, Inuyasha remained silent for a moment, almost hanging up the phone. What was he thinking? Asking Kagome for help?

'_Maybe this is mission impossible,'_ he said to himself, as he heard her say his name.

"Ah, never mind. It's nothing," he merely said, as he began to say his goodbyes, yet was cut off due to her loud speaking.

"Inuyasha, look at the time! You woke me up at the crack of dawn to play games with me? If there's an emergency would you just come on out and tell me what the hell is going on!" she suddenly yelled, as her tone became increasingly louder with each word she spoke.

"Why does everything have to be a fight with you?"

"And _why _does everything have to be like some sort of game with you?" Kagome snapped, as she felt herself increasingly angry by the minute, but decided to calm down. Sighing, she softened her tone, "I'm sorry. It's just I was having a nice sleep and then you woke me up and… I'm just cranky. Sorry."

"Don't let it happen again," was his response, as she tried to remain calm, yet realized he was trying to joke around with her once she heard him laugh, genuinely laugh. She hadn't heard that sound in awhile. Not with her, at least – never with her.

She laughed in response, muttering the word 'idiot' as a strange way of showing affection, "Seriously, Kagome. I had reservations with someone last night but I got stood up. Now, if anyone asks, I went out with you," he said, his tone serious.

Kagome stood still for a moment, thinking. He had ruined a moment of peace between them.

"And why, exactly, am I the one who went out with you?" Kagome asked, "I think I remember you inviting me, but a moment later telling me you already had plans, like the charmer you are," she said, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, c'mon, Kagome!" he said, as he sighed aloud, "I didn't mean to do that, I swear. I was just…"

"Stupid?" Kagome suggested, as she lifted an eyebrow.

"Sure. Anyway, I kind of told someone I was with you last night," he said, almost cringing at the thought of how it would all blow up in his face.

"I guess I can help you out. Just this once, though. And if anyone asks you how the date went and what we did, we went out to eat and it was horrible," Kagome said, "After all, we don't get along."

"Of course not. Never have, never will." he responded, a cool smile on his face.

"Yeah…" was Kagome's dead response, as she slightly frowned, but was glad to know that the conversation was merely over the phone. She wouldn't want him to see her frown over something he had said or done to her.

"But what if the date went fine, not horrible?"

Kagome remained silent for a moment, shocked at what he was suggesting. Suddenly, she became a bit flushed and smiled coyly, "Then it would've gone fine."

"Would you be interested in going on a second date?" he asked, as he lightly bit down on his bottom lip, afraid of his answer. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, he wasn't exactly sure, but he was asking Kagome Higurashi, of all the women in the building, out on a date. All he received, however, was silence.

"…I'd… that'd be… sure?"

A smile of relief appeared on Inuyasha's face, while Kagome's smile was bright; she was flattered.

"Great," was all he said, as the awkwardness suddenly began to reign. Brushing it off, Inuyasha began to speak of work and nonsense to his co-worker, as she in return listened to his seemingly incoherent chatter.

_One hour later…_

"Oh, I have to get ready," Kagome said, as she smiled, listening to him blabber on, "Yes. Inuyasha, no! I'll be late -- yes, I'll see you at work. Okay, bye,"

Hanging up the phone and sighing, Kagome lightly threw herself onto the bed as she turned her head to look at the hour. It was 6:45 which meant she had enough time to get herself ready for work. As she closed her eyes and began to think about the conversation she had just had and with whom, her eyes suddenly opened wide.

"What was I thinking?"

**And I thought, be still my heart  
This could be a brand new start, with you.**


	3. Past

**Reviews would be appreciated!  
Enjoy.**

* * *

Kagome walked rather gracefully as she headed inside the building, where she was sure the "news" about her and Inuyasha had been buzzing. As she made her way past the first secretary, she greeted her with a nod as she always had, but was surprised to find that the woman, who usually ushered a hurried greeting, simply met her with a cold, long glare.

'_This is going to be a long day…'_ Kagome said to herself, as she rolled her eyes and walked by. Trying to remain relaxed and content, Kagome plastered a small, fake smile on her face as she walked uneasily toward the elevators, afraid to eye any woman.

_Ding._

Kagome waited as the doors slowly opened to find, alas, not Inuyasha, but Kikyou. Stepping in hesitantly, Kagome made her way beside Kikyou, afraid to look her in the eye. After all, she had supposedly gone out on a date with Inuyasha, the man who her friend was interested in. At last, she thought she had been.

"Morning, Kagome," Kikyou said, her voice almost monotone, as her facial expression remained neutral as it always was with most people. But not with Kagome – with Kagome, she usually smiled. Something was the matter.

"Good morning," Kagome chirped nervously, as she kept her eyes on the elevator doors, listening to the almost inaudible music playing inside what seemed to be her casket, "Big annual meeting is coming up soon," she offered, as she tried to make conversation.

Remaining silent for a moment, Kikyou stole a glance from Kagome and smirked slightly, fixing her eyes upon the buttons, "Is that so? I've been so busy with men that I almost forgot. I heard you had some sloppy seconds last night," she said coldly and coolly to the woman that was suppose to be her friend.

Kagome, who wasn't a lover of confrontation, remained silent for a moment, wanting to gush to her friend that she hadn't gone out on a date with Inuyasha – it'd make the awkward atmosphere go away. However, as the doors opened to find Inuyasha standing so suavely on the two women's floor, Kagome kept her mouth shut, smiling.

"I didn't have sloppy seconds last night," Kagome murmured loud enough for Kikyou to hear, as she walked out of the elevator and directly into Inuyasha's arms, "Unless I'm unaware of something,"

Inuyasha smirked, as he put his arm around Kagome, "What's wrong, Kikyou? Cat got your tongue? Because it didn't seem that way last night when you left that damn message on my answering machine," he said, anger apparent in his voice.

Stepping out of the elevator, Kikyou laughed lightly and kept a small smirk on her face, "Inuyasha, I'm sorry if it bothered you that I'd rather date Naraku. However, Kagome is a sweet girl and I'd hate to see her be played by someone like you," she said, as she smirked, "Kagome, I think Inuyasha and I would like to be left alone."

Kagome didn't know what to do as she felt Inuyasha's grip on her ease up. Staring back and forth at Inuyasha and Kikyou, she realized that she_ was_ indeed part of Inuyasha's game. How foolish of herself!

"Thank you," Kagome said, a sad smile on her face as she nodded and walked away, angry that Inuyasha hadn't asked her to stay.

Walking away slowly and biting her lip, Kagome tried to restrain herself from crying. Crying, from embarrassment and anger, and crying, because she had let her guard down on the one man she should've known would've hurt her.

'_Why am I working myself up on something that was never there?'_ Kagome asked herself, as she let out a frustrated sigh, _'How stupid could I have been? Oh, God, I'm such an idiot!' _she screamed to herself, as she lowered her head, accidentally bumping into someone or something.

"Whoa, there," the man said, as he put his hands on Kagome's upper arms, trying to support her, "Are you okay?"

Looking up, Kagome was surprised to find emerald eyes gazing down at her. Kind, beautiful eyes, which did not dare leave her sight. Blushing slightly, Kagome smiled and shook her head, laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry for bumping into you," Kagome said, as she wiped a small tear away from her eye.

"It's more than all right," he said, as he grinned at her, "What's your name?"

"Kagome Higurashi. I'm one of the many journalists you see up here," Kagome said, as she eased up and smiled at the man, "What's your name?"

"Kouga, the name's Kouga. I'm a photographer. They called me up here to help out on an assignment, but I managed to get myself lost. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Kagome,"

Kagome smiled, "Yes, you, too," she simply said, as glanced back up at him.

"You look afraid. Actually, you look sad. Cheer up, you're too beautiful to have a frown on your face," he said, as he smiled warmly at her, making her face hot, which she was sure he was aware of.

"You're too kind…" Kagome offered, as she glanced across the room to eye Inuyasha and Kikyou, still conversing with one another, "Well, I better be off to work. I think I'm late and I have a lot of things to do and –"

"Are you too busy for dinner tonight at around seven o'clock?"

Kagome took a breath in, surprised at how direct the man was being, as her eyes remained slightly wide, "N-no," she stammered, "I'm never too busy for dinner, thanks."

"All right, Kagome Higurashi, I'll be parked outside this building waiting for you at around seven," he said, as he passed her another smirk and walked away from her presence, leaving her love struck.

"Okay," Kagome said, as she stared at the man leaving the floor, yet was crushed to see Inuyasha and Kikyou leaving together down the same elevator, "Ugh…" Kagome muttered, as she tore herself away from the two, walking toward her office.

Everything seemed to be going too fast.

* * *

"Kagome, I think Inuyasha and I would like to be left alone," she had said, as the two watched the young woman leave their presence. He restrained himself, however, and let her go, without saying another word to her.

Waiting until Kagome was out of sight, Kikyou finally spoke.

"What are you trying to pull, Inuyasha?" she asked, as she crossed her arms, sending him a cool glare.

"What am _I_ trying to pull?" Inuyasha retorted, "Excuse me if I show the slightest bit of interest in someone who isn't you," he said, as he began to tap his foot lightly on the ground, showing to her how nervous he was, "And since when do you care?"

"I've cared for a long time," was here simple reply, as she edged herself closer toward the man, "You should know that. It isn't very easy to forget someone like you," she said, as a soft smile appeared on her face, "However, a man like Naraku can make you forget a lot of things. I'm sorry, but it had to happen sometime."

Raising an eyebrow and swaying slightly, Kikyou smirked in delight, knowing the pain she was causing him. Noticing that people were beginning to fill the lobby, she dismissed herself silently and began to walk away, leaving Inuyasha alone to think. As her heels began to make a loud sound on the ground, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around to meet his gaze.

"Don't worry, Inuyasha," she cooed, "No one has to know about our past,"

Glaring coldly back at Kikyou, Inuyasha remained silent as he stood uneasily on the ground. He wanted to scream at her, tell her that it was and _had_ been completely over between them, but the words he wanted never came. Instead, he was a coward. That was always the case when it came to her.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" he replied, as he shook his head slightly.

She merely smirked, as a small chuckle escaped from her, "And you're a fool," she said, as she turned her gaze toward Kagome, who was currently in the presence of a green eyed, tall dark and handsome man. Tossing Kikyou a confused glare, Inuyasha directed his attention to where Kikyou's eyes were currently fixated.

Biting his tongue, he remained silent as he watched Kagome happily accompanied by a man he had never seen before. Oddly, he felt a sudden surge of jealousy for a moment before turning his attention back to Kikyou.

"That's too bad," he said, "Oh, well. I was just looking for a good time,"

"You two have never caught along great, so what made you think she'd be up for a 'good time', Inuyasha?" Kikyou retorted, as she began to walk away, unconsciously knowing that he would follow after her.

"Because," Inuyasha said, as he walked faster to catch up with her, "She was last night."

Eyes widening, Kikyou dared not to say a word as she began to delve deep into her thoughts. She had known Kagome for some time and knew that her co-worker and friend wouldn't mix work with pleasure – would she?

"That's a lie. Anyway, I need to visit Naraku. Would you like to join us? We were discussing your current position last night…"

"If it has something to do with me, sure; otherwise, I'll pass."

"Oh, you wouldn't want to pass this up," Kikyou replied, as the two walked away, her hips swaying while he remained serious and cold. Glancing at him, she noticed that something was on his mind.

Choosing to remain silent, the pair went into an elevator and stood silently, allowing the elevator music to take the lead. Staring at the buttons, Inuyasha made sure not to steal a look from Kikyou. Sighing, he folded his arms and tried to relax himself against the elevator walls, yet found that he could not. Maybe it was her company? He wasn't sure. What he did know, however, was that he needed sleep desperately.

_Ding._

The elevator doors suddenly and slowly went open, inviting the many people before them to go inside. Bowing their heads and making their way out of the elevator, the two made their way toward the office, which Naraku was currently working in. Cringing, Inuyasha took a step behind Kikyou and allowed her to enter the room first.

Standing up with a coy smile on his face, Naraku greeted the two and ushered them to take a seat before them. Nodding, Inuyasha sat himself uneasily on one of the chairs beside Kikyou, as a pregnant silence soon followed after.

"I was telling Inuyasha about the other night," Kikyou began slowly, as she focused her attention onto Naraku, "And your idea about his current position…"

"It was just an idea, Kikyou,_ dear_," he said coldly, as he tossed her a careless smile, turning his attention onto a cabinet in his desk, "Would you like to see what I received the other day?"

As the two remained silent, Naraku rolled his eyes slightly, opened the drawer and took out an envelope with his name written on it, "Fan mail. Usually, I wouldn't care. I'd toss it aside and move on with my day. But for some reason this one intrigued me… would either of you care to know why?"

Inuyasha shifted in his chair and shrugged, while Kikyou remained stoic and silent.

"Sure," Inuyasha finally said nonchalantly.

Smirking, Naraku took out the letter and let out a small chuckle, "Because it was sent to me by those two assassins, who we're doing a story on this month. It must've leaked out, the story, but it's good news, because we now have our own personal autograph by the infamous criminals," he said, as a proud smile appeared on his face, "Those fools."

"What was their message?" Kikyou simply asked, as she rested her chin in her hands.

"Oh, nothing important; they're going to supposedly make sure the issue this month, which is circled around them, doesn't get out. That isn't going to happen,"

"And how would they make that happen?" Kikyou mused, as she became enthralled in the sudden turn of events.

"Kill off a few journalists. And if that were to happen, it'd be great for the magazine. We have nothing left to lose except for a few lives, and that's only a maybe. I'm a chief editor, not a journalist. I'm not the one walking on ice,"

"Does anyone know about this letter?" Inuyasha said, as he began to raise his voice, sitting up straight in his chair.

"That I know of, no. However, I couldn't contain myself. I had to tell someone and you two – rather, Kikyou, was who I chose," he said, as he winked at Kikyou, earning no blush, no smile, no response.

"So everyone upstairs is in danger and they don't even know it?" Inuyasha asked.

"Exactly," responded Naraku, a coy smile still planted on his lips.

Inuyasha sat in disbelief for a moment, thinking of all the workers in the floor above him, thinking of how defenseless they would be. Gawking at the idea, Inuyasha remained silent, almost in his own world until he heard Naraku's voice suddenly wake him.

"Any plans for lunch? I'm starved."

**You don't tell me about what's going on  
Make up your mind, stop dragging it on  
They're only words, they don't hurt.**


End file.
